Brainthropology

Did you know we produce up to 80,000 thoughts per day?! With that said, it is ideal to be able to train the attention span and mind. You can use your breath as an anchor as your mind starts to wander. Dr. Branca teaches you how to use your breathing anchor to root your awareness into the present moment. This helps dissolve anxiety and decrease stress to bring you to a more peaceful state. Show Not...

You are not alone. That is what Alice wants you to know as she shares her story of not one but two brain injuries. Alice’s story will inspire you as she shares how she confronted her challenges head-on (in true warrior goddess fashion) to overcome not only her TBIs but her fears and anxiety! Alice will share with listeners the strategies and services that helped her most.  She will also discuss he...

Dr. Barbaranne Branca uses breath work to guide you through looking at an issue or problem without jumping to solutions or ways to fix it right away. There are times getting stuck in that solution loop can result in anxiety, which is not helpful or beneficial. Instead, we can use this guided meditation to develop a deeper understanding of the problem and choose to truly focus on components of the...

Debbie and Courtney sit down with Dr. Judy Malinowski, PhD and clinical psychologist in part 2 of their series. They continue their journey on discussing topics from diagnosis and symptoms of depression to exposing the risk factors and the current treatment options that are available to move people in the direction of getting their JOY back! For those of you that don’t have access to traditional h...

Join host Courtney Wang and her daughter, Laney Wang, as 8-year-old Laney explains rainbow breathing and how to use this technique to calm yourself when stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed. This meditation practice is kid and adult-friendly! Show Notes Brainthropology Noun /brānTHrəˈpäləjē/ the study of optimizing brain health for peak performance in life the science of the human brain, especially t...

Debbie and Courtney sit down with Dr. Judy Malinowski, PhD and clinical psychologist, in a 2 part series to dive into the important topics of anxiety and depression. Today’s topic focuses on anxiety and the current mental health crisis the world is facing post-pandemic. Tune in to learn about the causes and types of anxiety. Dr. Malinowski also provides our listeners with tangible treatment option...

In this meditation, Dr. Branca guides you through a body scan to teach about mindfulness of the whole body. Much of the time, we are not present in the experience we are in, but rather we rush, hurry, and worry about getting to the next thing. It has become so normal in our culture to leave the moment we are in. We miss so much of the world around us. All of our experiences go through our body fir...

Debbie Loftus and Jessica Smith discuss various energy conservation theories, why it is important, and the four “P’s” of saving energy! Show Resources: https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/ Show Notes Brainthropology Noun /brānTHrəˈpäləjē/ the study of optimizing brain health for peak performance in life the science of the human brain, especially the study...

The intention of this meditation is to be aware of how your day is really going at this moment. You have the ability to alter the day if your day is not going as intended. Dr. Branca guides you through meditation to first arrive in the present moment, gives strategies if you are feeling your mind wandering, and then encourages you to decide one way you can change the trajectory of your day. It can...

Jonathan and Shirley sit down with Meg Scaling and share their stories together, including the lows and highs after their brain injuries. This episode will tug at your heartstrings as well as have you laughing with them. Jonathan and Shirley each have different, unique experiences, and they do an excellent job outlining how symptoms can be the same or different after a brain injury, both discuss s...

Dr. Branca calmly guides you through creating a peaceful environment by inviting you to allow for openness and forgiveness. Complete mindfulness is impossible if you hold grudges. It’s hard to take the necessary steps towards becoming the best version of yourself, but performing this meditation will truly change your feelings towards a tough situation and open you to forgive much easier. Forgivene...

Self-advocacy is the ability to articulate one’s needs and make informed decisions about the support necessary to meet those needs. It is an essential skill to learn and use in life. Whether you are advocating for yourself, a loved one, or teaching your children how to advocate, this podcast will teach you the skills that you need and provide tools to set you up for success! Self-Advocacy Form htt...

Dr. Barbaranne Branca gracefully guides us through practicing compassion for ourselves and others. She reminds us that we are all the same- seeking love, happiness, and the feeling of connection. Allow her to guide you through this meditation that you can use not only today, but for future days to gain a sense of appreciation for yourself and cherish aspects of those around you, even if it seems l...

Are you confused about all of the Medicare information out there? Jessica sits down with Megan Berry, a licensed clinical master’s level social worker, and together they break down some questions about Medicare, terminology that is important to know, and some rules that apply that could save you money and get you the appropriate coverage you need! Megan first explains some of the costs associated...

Dr. Barbaranne Branca invites you to increase your awareness of what happens in your mind. It allows you to be more present with yourself and others. This leads to a more fulfilling life! Today’s meditation uses the breath as a foundation and then uses noting to explore feelings. Mental noting is a mindfulness meditation technique that aims to label experiences as they arise. In practice, this mea...

Join our Brainthropology team as we explore the signs and symptoms of a brain injury. We examine many of the mood, physical, memory, and cognitive challenges that are common. Be encouraged and empowered with the knowledge that you are not alone and there are strategies that can help! Concussion handout and symptom tracker: https://www.brainthropology.com/post/concussion -basics  Show Notes Brainth...

Dr. Barbaranne Branca invites you to increase your awareness of the people around you and challenges you to focus your thoughts on their similarities instead of their differences. Today’s guided meditation takes you on a journey that leads you to a better understanding of your thoughts and what you can do to avoid the ever so common divide we put between us and other people. Show Notes Brainthropo...

Do you ever wonder what is happening to the brain during a concussion? In today’s episode, Meg and Debbie break down what a concussion is, describe the symptoms, and provide simple ways to manage a concussion based on the latest available research. Episode Notes: Concussion handout and symptom tracker: https://www.brainthropology.com/post/concussion-basics Movie Discussed: Concussion- https://www....

Do you ever feel that you judge your own emotions? This guided meditation will help cultivate greater compassion for your own emotional experiences. Dr. Barbaranne Branca will facilitate us to hold our emotions with care instead of judgement. Show Notes Brainthropology Noun /brānTHrəˈpäləjē/ the study of optimizing brain health for peak performance in life the science of the human brain, especiall...

Did you know your brain is responsible for emotions, memory, heart rate, breathing, hormone regulation, vision, and motor movements?! Debbie Loftus and Meg Scaling discuss more foundational knowledge of the brain, the various parts of the brain and what they do, and the different lobes of the brain and everything that each lobe controls. Listen in to learn about the brain stem, cerebellum, limbic...

Emotional ups and downs are normal- but what can we do when they lead to distress? The window of tolerance will help with the first step, which is recognizing the emotional dysfunction, in order to bring you back to regulated emotional functioning. The window of tolerance is a useful tool that allows one to assess level of alertness. Understanding the concept of the window of tolerance helps us de...

Interested in details about your spinal cord and the nerves that come from it? In this episode, we give foundational knowledge about the anatomy and function of the spinal cord. We also discuss peripheral nerves that influence our brain and bodies. The spinal cord is responsible for some of our reflexes and it is the pathway that all nerves feed through to move and generate sensation in our bodies...

In this mindfulness Part B episode, Dr. Barbaranne Branca guides you through meditation with focus on the breath. The breath is something that is always with you and something you can always come back to. It is the thread of life that connects all events from birth to death and as we practice, we can become more aware of how our breathing directs us to the present moment. Show Notes Brainthropolog...

Did you know your brain has two sides that are unique to the qualities they display? Each of us use both sides and each side communicates to each other, but just like we have a dominant hand, we also have a dominant side of the brain. Tune in to this episode to learn about how our dominant side of our brain influences our personalities, how we tackle projects, how artistic, musical, or number driv...

We welcome you to participate in this body scan guided meditation. Whether you are a beginner or are advanced in meditation practice, you will find benefit from this episode. In only 12 minutes, Dr. Barbaranne can help you melt away this week's stress and calm your body to help you feel more balanced. We are constantly in our bodies and therefore learning to focus on the sensation of the body is v...